Biphasics sleep patterns in pre-industrial England/Europe

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on biphasic sleep patterns in pre-industrial England and Europe, exploring historical perspectives, personal experiences, and cultural implications. Participants reference literature and personal anecdotes to examine the significance of this sleep pattern and its potential effects on health and creativity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference a BBC article discussing biphasic sleep patterns and their historical context, noting how people would engage in informal conversations during the night.
  • One participant mentions the novel "The Second Sleep" by Robert Harris, which depicts a future society with similar sleep patterns, highlighting the cultural significance of nighttime without electric lights.
  • Several participants share personal experiences with biphasic sleep, questioning whether it is hereditary and discussing its potential links to health issues such as dementia.
  • There is a mention of the phenomenon being classified as a sleep disorder in modern contexts, depending on its effects on restful sleep.
  • One participant notes a connection between second sleep and dream intensity and retention, suggesting that deep restful sleep is crucial for these experiences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of perspectives on biphasic sleep, with some sharing personal anecdotes while others reference historical and literary contexts. There is no clear consensus on the implications of biphasic sleep for health or its classification as a disorder.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the relationship between biphasic sleep and health outcomes, such as dementia, remain speculative and are based on personal experiences rather than established research. The discussion also reflects differing views on whether waking during the night is a disorder or a natural phenomenon.

Astronuc
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BBC has an interesting article on sleep patterns in pre-industrial England and Europe, and it seems natural in other animals.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220107-the-lost-medieval-habit-of-biphasic-sleep

Historian Roger Ekirch "explains in his book, At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime, people would often just stay in bed and chat. And during those strange twilight hours, bedfellows could share a level of informality and casual conversation that was hard to achieve during the day.For husbands and wives who managed to navigate the logistics of sharing a bed with others, it was also a convenient interval for physical intimacy – if they'd had a long day of manual labour, the first sleep took the edge off their exhaustion and the period afterwards was thought to be an excellent time to conceive copious numbers of children."

I wonder about that in the context of some of my ancestors, especially where the father is unknown, and the offspring have the mother's family name.
 
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Astronuc said:
BBC has an interesting article on sleep patterns in pre-industrial England and Europe, and it seems natural in other animals.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220107-the-lost-medieval-habit-of-biphasic-sleep

Historian Roger Ekirch "explains in his book, At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime, people would often just stay in bed and chat. And during those strange twilight hours, bedfellows could share a level of informality and casual conversation that was hard to achieve during the day.For husbands and wives who managed to navigate the logistics of sharing a bed with others, it was also a convenient interval for physical intimacy – if they'd had a long day of manual labour, the first sleep took the edge off their exhaustion and the period afterwards was thought to be an excellent time to conceive copious numbers of children."

I wonder about that in the context of some of my ancestors, especially where the father is unknown, and the offspring have the mother's family name.
For those interested in bi-phasic sleep and its effect on culture and who enjoy reading science fiction novels, consider "The Second Sleep" by English novelist Robert Harris.

While many of Harris's novels set in the past, "Second Sleep" occurs ~800 years in a future rural England. The protagonist, an educated priest, describes and chronicles two part sleep patterns where the person goes to bed at dark; sleeps for a few hours; wakes for a few hours of reading, study, perhaps a light meal; then returns to bed to sleep until dawn. IMS this fictional society does not include electric lights so that dark night retains more significance than in our culture. The character's profession precludes overt sexuality but there is a housekeeper.

While not a major novel, I was intrigued by the concept of two-stage sleep. I often wake a few hours into a night's sleep. I think "second sleep" and reach for a good book or review what I have read during the day.
 
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My mom was a bi-phasic sleeper, and my wife and I wonder if that was somehow inherited. We also wonder if that contributed to onset of dementia late in life.

Somewhere, I have a book entitled "Wide Awake at 3 am". It was about creativity.

The phenomenon is considered a form of insomnia or some kind of sleep disorder in modern times.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-you-always-wake-up-at-3-a-m/
https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/why-do-i-keep-waking-up-at-3-am
https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/why-do-you-keep-waking-up-at-3am/

If it is related to stress or anxiety, and it adversely affects restful sleep, then it is a disorder. Otherwise, if one awakes after Second Sleep fully rested, it should not be a problem.
 
Jean-Jacques Rousseau did all of his writing at 4am.
 
Astronuc said:
My mom was a bi-phasic sleeper, and my wife and I wonder if that was somehow inherited. We also wonder if that contributed to onset of dementia late in life.

<snip>
If it is related to stress or anxiety, and it adversely affects restful sleep, then it is a disorder. Otherwise, if one awakes after Second Sleep fully rested, it should not be a problem.
My mother also experienced bi-phasic sleep; often dozing as Dad fell asleep early, then reading in bed until 0300, rising 4 to 6 hours later. She experienced little, if any, dementia in old age. Mom told stories of her grandmother sleeping ~4 hours a night then rising early to clean her entire house well into her 90's.

Rather than dementia, we noticed a relation between 'second sleep' and dream intensity and retention.
 
Klystron said:
dream intensity and retention
I think getting into a deep restful sleep, with dreaming and retention are key.
 
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